Stay With Me
by Mizshortii
Summary: Getting her back was the toughest deal they had ever negotiated.   AU -NaruSakuSasu-
1. Forgotten

Stay With Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. )):

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

They weren't coming.

Sakura Uzumaki-Uchiha dropped her gaze to the rumpled napkin in her lap and swallowed against the lump in her throat. Tears were welling in her eye and she blinked rapidly to dispel the threat of it all bubbling over.

Beside her the waiter hovered, asking for the sixth time in the last hour and a half if he could get her something, anything_. Not unless he could hand deliver her husbands,_ she thought bitterly.

She waved the waiter away and brushed at a lone tear, slowly sliding down her cheek. The look in her eyes hardened, but her trembling lips told a different story.

They had forgotten their anniversary. _Again._

She glanced at her watch and winced. They were _two hours_ late for their anniversary dinner. Not late, but absent. Just like every other date she had planned for the last several months.

Time and time again, they had promised that each time was the last time, that they'd make it up to her, and each time she had ended up alone, waiting for them.

She had forgiven those past mistakes, she understood because their business had just started to take off and they needed to work to keep it from falling flat. But tonight, tonight was special. Tonight was their six year anniversary and she had had a very special gift for them. Something they had all waited a long time for.

But here she was, alone with no one to share the news with. A sad smile flitted across her face. Even though she was in a relationship with two men, she had never felt more alone. She couldn't breathe through the ever growing knot of despair in her throat. Her heart ached with such sorrow over how bad their relationship had become. When had she lost hope? Looking back, she realized it had been a long time since she ever had such hope.

She motioned impatiently for the check. The only item on the receipt was a lone glass of champagne that she hadn't even drunk. She fumbled in her purse for a few notes and dropped them on the on table. She stalked to the door and smiled briefly at the doorman.

"Shall I call you a cab?" asked the doorman.

Sakura smiled sadly. "Yes, please."

He smiled sympathetically, before turning to street. She hated those looks and how they made her feel. So _forgotten_.

A moment later, the doorman helped her into the cab and shut the door softly behind her. In a shaky voice, she supplied her address and leaned back as the cab drove off.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Cursing wildly, Uzumaki Naruto threw his phone across the room, smirking in satisfaction when it smashed into little pieces, then wincing, realizing the stupidity of the action.

Uchiha Sasuke scoffed. "Smart one, idiot. I know you're frustrated, but was that the best way to solve things?"

They had been called earlier that day to solve something that had gone wrong in one of their business propositions. Yet here they were, after hours of conference calls and countless piles of paperwork, nothing had been solved.

"A better question is, what are we going to do about it?" Naruto growled. He turned to glare at the shimmering Konoha River and rubbed a hand through his messy blonde hair.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do. We are going to get on a plane and fix the goddamn problem."

Naruto nodded. "You taking Danzou or Orochimaru?"

Naruto sighed. Sakura was _not _going to like this. At all. But she'd understand, she _always _understood.

"I'll fly down to Otogakure. You go to Amegakure and pin down Danzou. Make him sign those papers. Once he sees the proposal, there's no way he can say no. I'll do the same with Orochimaru. We've got too much money riding on this to just let it slip away."

Sasuke punched the buzzer for his personal assistant, tapping the table impatiently. He absently made a mental note to increase her pay, from the hours she worked, she certainly deserved it.

"Yes sir?" she said, primly.

"Ah, can you call the pilot and have him ready the plane for us? I'll be flying to Otogakure tonight. Can you also book the first flight to Amegakure for Naruto?"

She looked surprised. "Have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?"He snarled. He was anxious to go, running about the office collecting bits and pieces for the trip.

Her lips drew into a disapproving line, and her eyes narrowed. "You and Uzumaki-san are supposed to be flying out to the Caribbean for your anniversary with Sakura-san tonight."

Sasuke's chest tightened and an expression of dread settled on his face. He locked eyes with Naruto, trying figure out what the hell they were supposed to do.

"Postpone the trip. Something came up."

"Doesn't it always," Karin muttered.

Sasuke stared, he'd have to rethink that pay rise now. He wasn't sure he heard right, but decided to ignore it. He had more pressing matters at hand.

"Get the flights arranged and report back once it is all organized."

Karin turned on her heel and stalked out of the office.

"Sakura-chan's going to be so disappointed," Naruto murmured softly.

Sasuke winced. "It can't be helped; our future is riding on this deal. She'll understand, she always does. We can always reschedule."

"I'll call her," Naruto said reaching for the office phone.

"We'll call from the car. We need to leave now."

They needed to leave now. If Sasuke was honest, he would admit he didn't want to face Sakura, even over the phone. If he talked to her now he'd say screw the deal and whisk her away to the Caribbean. But they needed this secure a better future for her and their children. She'd understand, wouldn't she?

"Call the driver and tell him to meet us out front. We can ride together to the airport."

Naruto nodded and picked up the phone, Sasuke turned around to see Karin walking back in.

"Your plane is being fueled as we speak. It will be fueled and ready to leave as soon as you get there. Uzumaki-san's flight leaves at ten. You'll need to leave now to catch the flights at the same time."

Sasuke nodded and stood up. Karin turned to go, but he called her back.

"Is there something else you need Uchiha-san?"

He cleared his throat. "Please call Sakura and see if she needs anything."

Irritation flashed in her eyes, but she bowed her head. "Of course, Uchiha-san."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Sakura let herself into the sprawling penthouse and stumbled over to the couch. She collapsed heavily down onto the couch and swept her gaze across the room. The blinking of the answering machine caught her eye. Her breathing sped up and she cursed herself for being so willing to forgive them if they left a message. She resisted the urge to check the messages; they could have called her cell, instead of being cowards and leaving a message for when she got home. She turned an absent stare out to the glittering night sky. She was scared out of her mind when the phone started to ring. She nibbled nervously on her bottom lip, arms crossed protectively across her chest.

After five rings, the answering machine picked up and her voice broke the silence of the penthouse. She held her breath as Naruto spoke.

"Sakura? Baby pick up the phone, you've let your phone die again and we've been trying to reach you."

That set her running for the phone. She snatched up the phone and panted a breathless hello.

"Naruto?"

"Sakura. Finally."

"Naruto, where are you?"

"I'm in the car." She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, they were on their way home. She was relieved they hadn't forgotten. Until his next few words.

"We're on the way to the airport. Something came up."

A long, pregnant silence descended. She tensed up and she held her breath. Oh no, not again. They wouldn't.

"I'm sorry baby, but we're going to have to postpone the trip. Sasuke and I have to fly out tonight. Can you reschedule it? We'll go as soon as we get back. We promise. And money is not an issue, spend as much as you like on it."

Numb all over, she gripped the phone tightly. She choked back a sob and crumpled to the floor.

"Sakura, you still there baby?"

"Y-yes, I'm still here."

She heard him sigh in relief. "I love you, baby. And I'm so sorry, I promise to make it up to you. Hold on, Sasuke wants to talk to you."

Sakura brought a trembling hand to her lips and Sasuke's deep voice floated over the phone.

"Sakura?"

"I'm here."

"I'm sorry, honey. This deal has us by the balls."

She didn't know what to say so she just kept quiet. She didn't want to hear false promises. He murmured and I love you and said they had to go. She murmured it back and said goodbye. Her thumb clicked the phone off and dropped it to the floor. This wasn't the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. They hadn't even mentioned the anniversary dinner they had forgotten only the vacation. She had been so _happy_ that they had gotten time off and had planned everything to the last detail.

She had to face facts. Her marriage was a mess. She hadn't been with both of them in ages and she missed them. But this wouldn't be the last time they would do this. She had to make a decision.

This trip was their last chance to put their marriage back together. One last effort to make things right. If she thought about it, if she got them away for a few days, then they'd realize how much they missed and everything would go back to normal. Right?

Who was she kidding? But she had planned the trip, why not just go? She wouldn't tell them and just slip away and see how they felt when she was gone. She got up and walked into their bedroom. She opened the walk-in and grabbed her packed suitcase. Sakura then when to the dresser, and picked up her passport and ticket. As she lifted her hand, her wedding ring glinted, catching the light. She glanced at it, a sad look in her eyes and pulled it off. She placed it on the dresser above the other two tickets and walked out of the room. She switched off all lights in the penthouse, gave it one last glance and walked out, closing the door behind her.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

I know I should be working on my other story and it's been ages since I last updated but I couldn't resist. This story has been sitting in the front of my mind for the last few weeks. Enjoy~!

Please review. ((:


	2. Gone

Here's the next chapter. I will update weekly most probably from now on. So enjoy~! ((:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto )):

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Sasuke boarded his jet, a satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Disaster averted. And it had only taken a couple of days. Two endless, agonizing days of meetings, phone calls and conference calls with Naruto and Danzou. But it was finally over. They had sealed the deal and were poised to land the biggest contract of their lives.

He had wanted to call Sakura and share the news, but when he had checked his watch, it was late at night in Konoha. So instead, he picked up his phone and called Karin.

When her sleepy voiced drifted over the line, he winced. He didn't want to wake his wife but had no problems about waking his assistant. A raise. She definitely deserved a raise.

"Karin, I'm on my way back. Naruto is also flying in tonight."

"Do you need the driver to meet you at the airport?"

"Don't worry, we'll take a cab home." He paused for a moment. "Did you talk to Sakura?"

There was a long silence. "I wasn't able to reach her cell."

Sasuke sighed. "She probably let it run out of battery again. She's always forgetting to recharge it."

"I went by your apartment when I couldn't reach her," Karin continued, voice tense. He could swear that she was angry. "Your doorman said she hadn't been home since the night you left. The night of your anniversary, by the way."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. His hand tightened around the phone, and he closed his eyes as panic, sharp and merciless, flooded him.

Their anniversary. Their dinner date. He'd completely forgotten. And it wasn't the first time. His chest tightened as he imagined Sakura sitting alone in the restaurant, waiting for him and Naruto to show. And how she must have felt when she realized they weren't.

God. And then he'd cancelled their trip.

How could he have forgotten? It wasn't as though it had completely slipped his mind. Her present sat in his desk drawer, wrapped and ready to go. But as soon as the contract had started to go south, everything else had fled from his mind. His only priority was salvaging the biggest deal of their careers.

"Are you still there?"

Karin's voice trickled into his consciousness. Then he registered the rest off what she had said. And alarm slammed into him.

"You said she was gone," he croaked. "That she hadn't been seen since we left. Did the doorman say anything else? Where did she go?"

"I don't know," Karin said, without a drop of sympathy in her voice. " But I can't say I blame her."

His lips tightened. "What the _hell _are you talking about?"

"Look Sakura-san's a sweet girl Sasuke, but she's not going to be so forgiving forever. You and Naruto take advantage of her. Terribly. One of these days, you're going to look up, and she's going to gone. Maybe she already is. Hopefully she'll end up with someone who appreciates her more and shows it too."

He couldn't breathe. Karin's words hit him like razor-sharp darts.

The phone went dead in his ear, but all Sasuke could focus on was that Sakura was gone.

He punched in the number to the apartment with shaky fingers. He waited anxiously as it rang. After the fifth ring, the machine picked up and he cursed.

"Sakura, sweetheart, it's me. Pick up, baby. I know you're angry, but please, pick up the phone."

He hung up ad called right back, frustrated when he got the same result. He was redialling when the plane pulled away from the terminal to begin its taxi.

Frustrated, he flung the phone across the seat.

Where was she? Had something happened to her? Had she left the apartment upset and gotten into an accident? Fear gripped him and he couldn't breathe. Had she left?

No, Karin was wrong. Sakura understood. She _always_ understood.

_Understood what? That her husbands were assholes who couldn't even remember their anniversary? _He'd cancelled the trip that he promised to take her on, hadn't been around in more months than he could count and couldn't even remember the last time he had touched her. He ached.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair. Had she given up on them? On him?

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Naruto stepped off the plane and made his way to the exit corridor to the gate. He was tired as hell, but anticipation lightened his step as he imagined crawling into bed with Sakura. God, he'd missed her. Right now a Caribbean beach and her in a bikini sounded like heaven.

He frowned when he tried the last time he had made love to Sakura. Recently, everything had been a blur of phone calls, endless meetings, negotiations and business trips. Uncertainty bloomed in his chest. She had sounded so disappointed when they had called, the night Sasuke and he had left. Now that he had a moment to breathe, he realized how often he and Sasuke had been making excuses and apologies.

Suddenly he couldn't wait to get home. He was going to have a long talk with Sasuke about rescheduling that vacation and to see if they could extend it for longer too.

He checked his watch, then fished for his phone, switching it on. Sasuke had landed earlier than him and they were supposed to ride home together.

As soon as the phone had powered up, it beeped to let him know he had voicemail. Or fifteen. Damn, that was a lot of missed calls. As he went through them he frowned, they were all from Sasuke.

He put his phone to his ear as he stalked over to baggage claim.

"Naruto, get your ass to the apartment. We've got a problem."

He pulled the phone away and grimaced. That was it. Goddamn Sasuke and his affinity for being short and providing no detail. He punched in Sasuke's number and swore when it went straight to voicemail. He shoved the phone in his pocket.

Had something happened to Sakura? Fuck the baggage. He could come back for it later. Adrenaline pounded through his veins as he by passed the baggage claim and ran straight for the taxi bay. He cut in front of three other people waiting for taxis. He shoved a wad of bills at the driver.

"I'm in a hurry."

The cabbie palmed the money. "Yes, sir."

What seemed like an eternity later, he finally jumped out of the cab and dashed into the building. He cursed the slowness of the elevator as he rode it up to the top. When it opened, he ran down the hall to the door and slammed it open. He came up short when he saw Sasuke pacing the living room, phone to his ear.

"What do you _mean_ you don't have a record of Sakura Uchiha-Uzumaki at your hotel? She has to be there_. I've called every other goddamn hotel in the Bahamas_."

"What the _fuck_ is going on here?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke pivoted around, snarled an expletive to whoever he was talking to on the phone then slapped it shut.

"Sakura is gone," he said hoarsely.

Naruto blinked as fear crawled up his spine. "Gone. What do you mean _gone_?"

"Have you tried to call her in the last two days?" Sasuke asked, voice tinged with angry and worry.

"Yes, I have. I assumed she just let her phone go down again. You know as well as I do how she rarely picks up the apartment phone."

"She's gone," Sasuke said again, and Naruto had to fight the urge to punch the hell out of him to get some straight answers.

"Where is she?" Naruto demanded.

"Hell if I know." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. "We forgot our anniversary," he said in a quieter voice. "Sakura had made plans. Reservations. We were meant to eat out, come home and spend the evening together before flying out to the Bahamas the next morning. She didn't expect much from us, all we had to do was turn up. Only she had ended up spending the night by herself and we cancelled the trip."

"Where. Is. She. Now." Naruto gritted out, very afraid of Sasuke's answer.

Sasuke rounded on him. "I don't know! I wish to hell I did. Karin informed me Sakura had left the same night we had. She hadn't been home since. And then she proceeded to tell me what assholes we are."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't give a _shit _about Karin right now. I want to know where my _goddamn_ _wife_ is."

"The only thing missing so far is her luggage," Sasuke said. Relief settled over Naruto. Maybe she hadn't left. As in walked out. Maybe she'd just gone on the trip. He couldn't blame her if she had. He and Sasuke had treated her like shit.

". . .that's not all."

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts, when Sasuke kept talking. "What's not all?"

"Naruto, she left this behind." And then Sasuke held up her wedding ring, the ring she had never taken off as soon as she had gotten it. Until now that is. Naruto couldn't breathe. She had once said that as long as the ring was on her finger, she would never give up on their marriage. She had given up.

"Sasuke call the damn pilot. We are going to look for her if it's the last thing we do."

Eyes narrowed, and determination strong, Naruto stalked out the door, Sasuke following closely. She may have given up on them, but there was _no way in hell_ he was giving up on her.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~  
>Did you like it? Please review guys. ((:<p>

Where did Sakura go? Will they find her? Will she come back to them or has she given up on fixing their marriage?

Until next week,

Mizshortii

Mwah~!


	3. Found

_Bahamas_

Sasuke watched as his wife gyrated in time to rhythmic beat of the music. Torches lit the stretch of sand cordoned off into a dance floor. Their flames flickered and cast shadows, dancing in time with the thong of scantily clad partygoers.

Goddamn he was tired, jet lagged, he hadn't slept in days, and now his wife, _his woman_, damn it, was weaving in and out of the crowd, strange men touching her, lusting after her. He growled when one got a little too close.

She looked like a sea nymph, her long rosy hair tumbling free over shoulders, pale skin glowing in the firelight. He didn't even remember the last time she let her hair out, from the loose ponytail she normally kept it in. And her bikini. How the fuck had she gotten the tiny scraps of material seemingly glued strategic parts of her body, was a mystery he'd probably never solve.

When she twirled around, and he caught sight of her face, she glowed. Her smile brightened the entire night. And in that moment, he was struck by the fact that he hadn't seen her smile, hadn't seen her look this happy, nor could he remember the last time she looked so _free_.

An uncomfortable tension settled, like a rock, in his stomach. Had he made her so unhappy? Was Karin right? Was he in danger of losing her? Or had he _already_ lost her?

_She left you, dumbass. Without a word. Without a note. Not even a phone call. And even the ring was left behind. Took off on the vacation you promised her. What do __**you**__ think?_

Yeah, he was going to lose her, if not already.

His hand shook as he raised it to run through his hair, but dropped it when he remembered it was her favourite thing to do. She had loved playing with his hair, said she was jealous of how soft it was.

She may have given up on him, but there was no way he was losing her. Not without a _goddamn_ fight.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Sakura smiled and laughed as she raised her hands above her head and her hips to the beat. The sand tickled her feet, and the calm ocean breeze blew gently across her face.

She weaved herself through the crowd of dancers, blurs of colours flashing in and out of her vision. At the edge of the dance floor, she paused for a moment. Her eyelids slid shut as she breathed in the salty air. She took a few minutes to let the underlying sadness go. She wasn't here to wallow in self-pity; she was here for a good time. For a fresh start.

She made her way over to the water's edge, slipping away from the intensity of the crowd. The waves swept up the shore, reaching for her toes, and each time she skipped, giggling to herself when she finally let it wash over her ankles.

She'd walked far enough so the music was drowned out by the sound of the waves. She swept her gaze over the horizon. The stars draped across the night sky like dazzling jewel sparkling against the black. Here she was happy.

"Spectacular, isn't it."

Sakura froze. She spun slowly, stunned to see Sasuke there, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looked as though he hadn't showered, shaved or changed in days.

Rumpled pants, dishevelled shirt. His work clothes.

He looked absolutely gorgeous.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and finally closed her mouth.

"What are you _doing _here?" she demanded.

He came close enough, until she could see the anger drawn on his face. The moon cast a pale glow over both of them and she backed away tentatively, until she was ankle deep in water.

His fingers closed around her upper arm, and he dragged her forward, into his chest and away from the water.

"I came to find you," he said simply.

"But how did you even find me?" she demanded, still dazed with the shock of seeing him. He was here. Not at work.

He scowled. "It wasn't easy. I had no idea where you had gone. You left no note. You didn't call. Just up and disappeared. All you had taken was your suitcase, so I had to assume you went on the trip. But even then, I had no clue what arrangements you had made. The Bahamas isn't such a small place when you have no _idea_ where you're meant to be looking."

She yanked her arm out his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly at him. Did the arrogant _bastard_ actually expect to make her feel bad after _**he'd**_ stood _**her**_ up on their anniversary, _then_ cancelled the trip that he had promised to take her on?

"Come here," he said softly, pulling her into his strong arms.

She was a giant ball of conflicting emotions as she was pressed up against his chest. God, she had missed this. It had been _so long_ since he'd held her, touched her. In the past, all it had taken was a soft touch, a few simple words, a _look,_ and she'd forgive all and forget.

Not this time.

She pulled away again, but his grip just tightened.

"Let's go back to the hotel room. I'm tired, I stink and I'm dirty. I haven't changed in three days. We can talk after I have a shower."

"Where's Naruto?" she asked, anxious he hadn't come.

"Out looking for you," he said darkly. "Now come on. Let's go back to the room."

"You need to get your own," she said quietly, stepping out of his embrace once again.

He stared at her, his eyes furious, and she looked him defiantly in the eyes. She may have looked confident, but inside she was fighting the urge to run. He reached out, his fingers running slowly down her arm. She swallowed back the longing that had swelled up.

"Come back to _our_ room, Sakura. We've come a long way to find you. The least you can do is talk to us."

Tears brimmed in her eyes. Her nose burned with the effort from holding them back. She scoffed. "_Talk_? _Now_ you want to talk? After months – _years – _of ignoring me, _now_ you want to talk?"

She shook all over; she was slowing losing the fragile grip on her emotions.

"Come back with me."

It wasn't a request, it was a command. To her utter shame and dismay, she walked forward, allowing him lead her back to the hotel room.

His fingers remained firmly wrapped around her wrist, as though fearing that she'd flee any second now.

Through the crowd of dancers they walked, up the steps to the veranda and past the live band. They walked into the cool inside of the hotel, down the hall leading to the elevators. They walked in silence.

He pulled her into the elevator, pushed the button for the top floor and wound arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest.

She closed her eyes, quivering in his arms. How long had it been since he had last held her? Touched her intimately? _Looked _at her like he'd done on the beach, like she was the only woman in the world, a woman he wanted badly.

Hi burrowed his face into her hair, inhaling deeply, rubbing against her ear. A tingling of desire skittered down her arm. God how she'd missed this.

"Where did you get this outfit?" he mumbled against her ear.

The elevator opened, and he curled a hand around her wrist once again, pulling her down the hallway.

"I bought it for our vacation," she said softly. She could almost swear that his hand tightened around her wrist.

He fumbled in his pocket as they neared the suite, pulling the room key out. He jammed the card in the slot and slammed the door open.

As they walked further into the room, she could see his and Naruto's luggage carelessly flung around the room. As though they had dumped it and left it just as quickly. In search for her? She gazed out the corner of her eye, assessing his mood.

He was looking at her intently, even as he was pulling off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" she asked faintly, the blood rising to her cheeks.

The door opened and Naruto swept in, looking as tired as Sasuke did. When his gaze landed on her, relief swept over him, lightening his blue eyes.

"Sakura, thank god," he whispered as he walked towards her.

He pulled her into his arms and held on to her tightly. She tried to pull away, but all he did was tighten his grip. When he finally relaxed his hold on her, it was to tilt her head back to capture her lips in a demanding kiss.

Anger, need, sadness, passion. Love. It was too much for her and she tore herself from his grip. She turned away, not wanting either man to see how upset she was.

"Sakura," Naruto said in his gruff voice. "Baby, look at me."

She shook her head and kept her gaze firmly on the opposite wall.

"I don't want you here. Why are you here?" she said shakily.

As she spoke, she raised her head to look firmly, first at Naruto and then over to Sasuke. "Hurt flickered across Naruto's face, but Sasuke was unreadable.

"You don't want to be here. So again, why are you here?" she challenged, as anger bubbled through her. The urge to scream at them, to make them bleed like she bled, was strong.

"Because you're here," Sasuke murmured. "And you belong with us."

She couldn't control the _flood_ of hurt that swept through her, as she jerked her gaze up to Sasuke's. He actually flinched, and guilt crept unto his face.

"_Leave. GET OUT RIGHT NOW! __**I HATE YOU**__!" _Sakura screamed, every ounce of anger and pain she had suppressed burst out of her. Tears were pouring out her eyes, as she crumpled to the floor, curled up into a little ball. Sobs were ripped from her chest, her boy heaving.

One hand reached out to touch her and she ignored it. Another joined the first, and another, and another. Till she was wrapped up in their embrace. She pounded weakly on the chest in front of her, crying out feebly.

"I hate you _so_ much," she cried, softly.

"I know, baby, I know. I hate me, too." A voice murmured in front of her. They rocked her gently, until she fell into the welcoming darkness. 


End file.
